A New Beginning
by NeonDomino
Summary: When Sirius Black started University, he was hoping to be known as one of the guys. He hadn't expected to see a familiar face - someone who recognised him and could spill his secret... Transgender!Sirius. Muggle!AU. WolfStar.


**Written for the Hunger Games Competition:**

Prompts used - Word: arouse, Emotion: lonely, Dialogue: "No, it's okay; I'm used to it." Weapon: taser, Subject: Astronomy

I really hope I portrayed Sirius well in this story. If I've got anything wrong, feel free to PM me. :)

Thanks to Rayniekinnz for helping so much with this fic!

* * *

Remus watched him fill out the application form. He recognised them both, how could he not? James Potter was one of the most popular students back at Hogwarts Academy. Him and his best friend, Sirius.

Sirius Black, the girl all the boys chased after. The one that ignored everyone who asked her out.

The man had stood to the side at first, whilst James Potter spoke to the redhead who was assisting him in running the stand for the Astronomy Club. At first, Remus had assumed that he was looking at Sirius' younger brother, as her and her brother had been almost identical - as though they were twins.

They had even been the same height.

But when the man sauntered upto the table - "Sirius Black, signing up for evenings of romantic stargazing," followed by a wink, Remus he knew it was the same Sirius deep down.

Sirius Black who always made his heart pound against his chest. Clearly that hadn't changed, though Sirius' appearance had.

There was no longer thick black hair down his back. He now had shorter hair, with strands curling around his ears. No sign of dresses and skirts. They had been replaced with loose fitting jeans and a Rolling Stones t-shirt. A bit of stubble and a leather jacket completed the look.

Remus could only nod his head, his voice gone in shock - shock that he would see Sirius Black again in a University so far away from the private school they had all attended.

And Sirius Black looked amazing.

Sirius quickly filled in his information and passed the clipboard back to Remus.

"Thanks," Remus said, taking the clipboard. "Right, so we'll arrange for an information pack to be dropped off to you. Or... or I... I could give you one... over dinner? Tonight perhaps?" He realised he sounded like an idiot. Why would Sirius want to go out with him? "Or not, if you don't want to -"

"No, yeah. Cool, yeah. Dinner sounds..." Sirius glanced at James who gave him a thumbs up. "Dinner sounds great," he finished, his attention quickly moving back to Remus.

"Great. Does seven sound good? I can meet you outside your dorms?"

"That's great," Sirius replied. "I'm in Gryffindor Dorms. I'll see you at seven."

"I look forward to it," Remus replied softly, shocked that Sirius had agreed to dinner.

**...oOo...**

Sirius couldn't help but smile as he walked the rest of the way around the student fair. A cute guy had asked for a date! He didn't even know the guy's name and he had agreed to it.

A harmless date - what could go wrong with that?

Sirius and James finished looking around and returned to their dorm-room and Sirius grabbed his belongings. The Potters had paid extra for a room with a private bathroom and shower for the pair and Sirius made quick work of getting into the bathroom and running himself a relaxing bath.

He stripped off his clothes, glaring at the sports-bra he removed. He detested having to wear anything on his upper body, but it was more comfortable than the chest-bindings.

Thankfully _they_ were small and easily hidden under the bra.

Placating himself with the knowledge that one day he wouldn't have to wear one again, he threw the offending bra into the washing basket with the rest of the clothes and he stepped into the hot water, wondering how the evening would go.

As Sirius relaxed, he thought about the guy who had asked him out, thinking about the stuttering of words and the shy smile.

He looked kind of familiar.

"James?" Sirius shouted after after a few minutes. "You know the guy I'm going on a date with... have we seen him around before?"

"Maybe he lives in Gryffindor Hall too?" James shouted back through the door. "He looks familiar, but I'm not sure why."

"Okay," Sirius called back, frowning to himself. He closed his eyes again, breathing in the Lavender from James' candles.

A little while later, as he stepped out of the water, he remembered the quiet geeky boy who used to hang out in the school library and help Sirius with notes sometimes.

It was him, and he had gotten hot!

**...oOo...**

James spent the next half-an-hour calming his cousin and best friend down. Sirius had thrown out concerns about whether the man knew who he was, or recognised his name. When James had suggested cancelling the date, Sirius found himself worried that he would tell someone.

Sirius loved the way people were treating him at Uni. They weren't whispering behind his back or looking at him strangely. They were treating him like he was just another guy, and it was perfect.

He didn't want that to change.

"I have to go," Sirius insisted. "I need to find out if he knows me... and if he does, I need to convince him to keep my secret."

"Do you want me to come with you?" James offered.

Sirius shook his head. "There's still a chance that he doesn't know me from school," Sirius replied. "If he doesn't, this doesn't need to ruin my evening. I really want this date to go well."

James grinned. "That sounds more like my Sirius," he said. "Go have fun on your date."

"I'll try," Sirius said, pulling the leather jacket on over his t-shirt and heading to the door. "Besides, it might not even be him, I might have him mixed up with someone else."

**...oOo...**

Remus waited outside Gryffindor Hall for Sirius to come out. His palms were sweating and he was so very nervous. It was rare for him to ask anyone out, he never usually had the confidence.

But this was Sirius Black, and he wasn't going to let him walk by without asking for a date. Remus had missed out on asking Sirius out in Hogwarts. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

He watched the door each time someone left, eager to see Sirius again, and as the clock struck seven, the doors opened and Sirius stepped out.

Remus couldn't help but smile at the sight of him, and Sirius smiled back.

"So, I was thinking Italian, but I thought I'd leave it upto you. What are you in the mood for?" Remus asked shyly. He recalled Sirius in school proclaiming that Lasagne was the best dish ever invented. He wasn't quite sure how he remembered that bit of information, but these things were good to know.

"Oh, I like Italian," Sirius replied, nodding his head. "Do you know anywhere around here?"

"Great, yeah I do," Remus said. "Would you prefer us to drive there, or we could walk since it's not far?"

"Let's walk," Sirius said. "Sorry, but I don't even know your name. I was quite excited about the date and didn't even get a chance to ask you."

"I'm sorry," Remus said. "I should have said earlier. I just... It's Remus. I'm Remus Lupin."

Sirius nodded slightly. It was definitely the boy from school.

"So," Remus said as they began walking. "What courses are you taking?"

It hadn't been what Sirius had expected. He was expecting along the lines of 'so, how comes you're a guy now?' Or the not so pleasant insults his parents had hurled his way as he left. 'Freak. Disgrace. Disgusting'.

"I'm taking Psychology," Sirius replied. "What about you?"

"English Literature," Remus replied. "It's fascinating, I get to study some of the greatest writings more in depth then I've ever imagined."

"So, you like to read?" Sirius asked.

"Very much. I've always preferred a good book over anything," he said. "I don't know what it is about books that I find so comforting. I can start reading one and then realise it's three am and I've not had dinner."

"You miss dinner because you're reading?" Sirius asked, amused.

"That's the problem of living alone," Remus explained. "At least at home mum would knock on my door, take the book out of my hands and force me downstairs. Now I'm here, if a book starts to arouse my interest, I either have to force myself to put the book down until I have proper time to read it, or I can stay up and read all night."

"So, what are your plans for after here?" Sirius asked.

"I want to teach English," Remus replied. "Or maybe try my hand at writing my own books. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm still deciding between being a Social Worker or a Councillor," Sirius replied. "I want to help people."

The pair fell into easy conversation as they arrived at the restaurant. Sirius was careful about what he mentioned about the past, avoiding James' name, just in case.

Maybe Remus didn't remember him at all? Sirius wondered as they sat down in the small Italian restaurant.

**...oOo...**

Remus was still in shock as he snuck glances at Sirius Black as they ate. Every time Sirius looked up, Remus found himself blushing and looking down, but he couldn't keep his eyes off Sirius for long and his gaze would move back to him.

From the conversation that had flowed on the way to the restaurant and since they had sat down, he could just tell that Sirius had changed so much from the girl he remembered from school.

He could still see her in this Sirius: the same smile on his soft looking lips, the familiar blush over his cheeks and of course the same amazing grey eyes.

But as Sirius talked about his classes and his first impressions of University, Remus could see how confident and certain Sirius had become since Remus had last seen him.

**...oOo...**

"So... where did you go to school?" Sirius asked as they walked back towards the University, unable to keep the question at bay any longer. The date had been amazing and Sirius realised he could listen to that soft, sexy voice for hours and never grow tired off it.

There was no could about it. He knew he wanted that, but he needed to know.

"I... went to Hogwarts Academy," Remus replied, after a short pause.

Sirius was silent, trying to prepare the next question. He wasn't quite sure how to bring it up. He had been hoping that Remus would say somewhere else - anywhere else.

"You're wondering if I remember you," Remus guessed, sensing Sirius' discomfort. Sirius looked up and met his gaze.

"Do you?" Sirius replied.

"I do," Remus said, nodding slightly.

Sirius stopped walking, as did Remus. He watched Sirius look around, making sure no-one was close.

"Sirius, I like you. I liked you back in school and I like you now. You're still sweet, funny and amazing," Remus said.

"I just don't want anyone to know -" Sirius began, looking at Remus pleadingly.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," Remus insisted. His smile dropped slightly as a thought struck him. "Did you only agree to this date because you thought I'd..."

"No," Sirius quickly interrupted. "I realised afterwards that we went to school together. It took me a while, I sort of... forgot about you."

"No, it's okay; I'm used to it."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said. "I had so much going on, I didn't really think about the people I went to Hogwarts with. I just assumed that with the exception of James, I'd never see anyone there again."

"I understand," Remus said, smiling to show that he wasn't upset. "Hopefully this time I've made a more lasting impression."

"You certainly have," Sirius confirmed.

There was an awkward silence as the pair thought about what to say to each other.

"So I used to be..." Sirius started.

"I don't mind. I like you no matter what gender you are," Remus said. "I've always thought you were amazing and the last couple of hours have shown my that I wasn't wrong about you. I can't believe I was actually brave enough to ask you out, I never ever thought you'd go out with someone like me."

"Someone like you?" Sirius asked, confused.

"Back in school, people didn't look twice at me," Remus said with a shrug. "I honestly thought you were going to turn me down."

"Well, their loss is my gain," Sirius replied. "Far from wanting to turn down a date with you - I'd really like to do this again."

"Me too," Remus replied, reaching for Sirius' hand.

**...oOo...**

_Remus sat in the corner of the Library, poring over his Science homework. He always done his work and homework alone._

_He was too shy to try and make friends again. A lot of the students disliked him because he outshone them in all of the classes. The others thought he was boring. Sometimes he thought about it and agreed with them._

_It was lonely, but there was nothing he could do about it. His gaze lingered on a group sitting at one of the main tables, laughing and joking with each other and he let out a sigh before turning back to his work._

_Maybe one day when he wasn't in high-school again, he'd have that?_

_"There you are - Remus, right?"_

_Remus' head snapped up as a girl dropped into the seat next to him._

_"James borrowed your notes for me," she said, handing over a couple of sheets of paper in a clear plastic wallet._

_"Oh, thanks," Remus replied, quickly recovering from the surprise. "I hadn't expected them back so soon." He took the notes, putting them on the desk next to him and looked back at the girl._

_"So... I was out of school... ill, " she said, rolling her eyes. "It was pretty boring, I actually done my homework, so was finished with these much quicker than I thought." Her eyes fell on the folder in front of Remus. "I was hoping -"_

_"Babe," came a voice and the pair looked away from each other, their gazes moving to the intruder on their conversation._

_"We still going to the dance together?" he asked, his eyes flicking to the front of her t-shirt. She crossed her arms on the table, hiding herself from view._

_"I told you no." She glared up at him._

_"Well, I can show you a good time," he said, leaning down next to her. "Better than Malfoy. He said you're frigid, but I bet you're wild."_

_Remus swore he heard the girl growl as she jumped up from the seat and turned to Benjy, grabbing a fistful of his t-shirt with one hand, and reaching into her bag with the other._

_"Listen, you arsehole, I am not going to the dance with you," she hissed. "Come near me again, and I'll make you regret it -"_

_"Yeah?" Benjy said, amused._

_"Yeah," she confirmed, pressing something against his lower body. Remus tried to discreetly look to see what it was, but he couldn't tell._

_"Now, you might not be able to see, but that's a taser I've got against your balls. All it takes is one click of the button..."_

_"You'd be expelled," Benjy said, his voice shaking slightly._

_"For defending myself? I think not. Do you think I'm joking?" She asked. "Come near me again, I'll shove the taser up your arse."_

_As Benjy rushed away, Sirius turned back to the quiet boy and smiled widely at him, all traces of anger gone from her face. She sat back down again._

_"So, I don't want to be cheeky, but do you have the Science notes too?" She asked hopefully._

_Remus silently opened the folder and pulled out his notes, handing them over._

_"Brilliant, you're a star," she said, jumping up and pressing her lips to his cheek._

_Remus watched her move quickly through the library, his eyes following until the door had closed behind her. It was then that he realised she had left something on the desk. His eyes fell on a large chocolate bar with a post-it stuck to it._

_'Thank you xx'_

_His fingers reached for his cheek where Sirius had kissed him and he couldn't help but smile to himself as he tried to stop his heart racing._

_Slowly he opened the chocolate and broke a piece off._

**...oOo...**

They reached the Gryffindor Dorm and Remus walked Sirius to his dorm, stating that he lived a couple of floors up.

"So, goodnight," Remus began.

"Goodnight," Sirius replied.

Remus moved closer, bringing his hand up to Sirius' face, cupping his cheek as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against Sirius'.

"Saturday night same time?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"Sounds good," Remus said. "I have your number, it's on the Astronomy forms if you don't mind me... crap, I forgot to bring the information for you."

"It's okay,I forgot all about it too," Sirius said. "So, I'll meet you at the lifts, Saturday night... Goodnight Remus."

"Goodnight," Remus repeated, leaning in to kiss Sirius' cheek. As Sirius opened his door, Remus walked off, waving when he reached the lift.

**...oOo...**

"So, how did it go?" James asked, the second the door shut behind Sirius.

"It was amazing," Sirius said, hanging the leather jacket up on the back of the door.

"So... was he from our school?" James asked.

"He was, he remembered me too."

"Do I need to have words with him, or..." James offered.

"No, you don't need to do anything. Remus remembered me from school and had a crush on me before. He said that gender doesn't matter; he likes me no matter what."

James' concerned expression quickly disappeared and a smile broke out. He had been worrying about Sirius since his best friend left on his date earlier that evening and was relieved that the date had gone well. "Are you seeing him again?"

"Saturday," Sirius said, dropping down onto his bed. "I can't wait."

* * *

**Hopefully I wrote this right. If I got anything wrong, please PM me.**

**Let me know what you think - leave a review.**

**:)**


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